Canon Releases Two New Cinema Prime EF Lenses

For all of you movie recording buffs, Canon has just released information about two new Cinema EF lenses designed for use on their full frame Cinema cameras or EOS dSLRs; the CN-E14mm T3.1 L F and CN-E135mm T2.2 L. See the official press release from Canon below for more details.

"Since our introduction to the film and television production industry
back in November 2011, we have brought to market five Cinema prime
lenses, two top-end Cinema zoom lenses, two compact Cinema zoom lenses,
and four professional digital cinematography cameras all within 18
months," stated Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general
manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.
"This is a testament to the Company's dedication to the needs of the
growing and diverse universe of professionals creating 4K, 2K, and HD
moving-image content for theatrical, television, and other
high-resolution digital production markets. We look forward to
continuing to serve these professionals with Canon Cinema EOS products
designed to help them achieve their creative imperatives and commercial
aspirations."

All Canon Cinema EOS lenses integrate advanced materials and coatings
to meet high optical performance levels, including 4K (4096 x 2160)
production standards. Each Canon Cinema lens is equipped with an
odd-numbered 11-blade aperture diaphragm, which is ideally suited to
achieve creative depth-of-field manipulation and pleasing "bokeh"
effects of cinematographic quality. The Canon line of five Cinema prime
lenses is precision-matched for consistent and solid optical performance
that minimizes focus-induced changes in the angle of view. All feature a
full-frame image circle in a lightweight, compact design, and they
incorporate proven Canon lens elements designed to fulfill contemporary
4K production standards. All five primes also deliver color tone and
balance that matches Canon's top-end Cinema zooms and compact Cinema
zooms. Canon Cinema prime lenses are also water-resistant for severe
shooting conditions and deliver the operation and reliability required
in professional film-style shooting environments.

All five Canon Cinema primes feature mechanical attributes specifically
designed for motion-picture production, as opposed to still
photography. These strategically integrated film-style characteristics
include 300 degree rotation on the focus ring for precision focus
control as well as large, highly visible engraved focus scales for
convenient operation. These markings appear on the angled surfaces on
both sides of the barrel, making them easy to both read and to adjust
the stepless focus and/or aperture settings of the lenses from behind -
or from either side - of the camera. Focus markings can be switched from
standard labeling to metric, and control rings are engineered to
maintain the proper amount of resistance with consistent operating
torque and familiar tactile "feedback" for satisfying manual control.
All Canon Cinema prime lenses also share the same uniform gear
positions, diameters, and rotation angles, as well as front-lens
diameters, making them compatible with matte boxes, follow focus gear,
marking disks, and other third-party film-industry-standard accessories.
Film crews can quickly change lenses without the need for accessory
gear-position adjustments or other changes to the rig setup.

The new Canon CN-E14mm T3.1 and CN-E135mm T2.2 Cinema prime lenses - as
well as the Canon CN-E24mm T1.5, CN-E50mm T1.3, and CN-E85mm T1.3
primes - are fully compatible with the Canon EOS C500, EOS C300, EOS
C100 and EOS-1D C digital cinema cameras. The EF-mount design of all
five Canon Cinema prime lenses provides communication with these cameras
for such handy features as display of the f number in the electronic viewfinder, recording of focus/zoom position and f number, and Peripheral Light Compensationi for more pleasing effects shots.

The versatility of image-capture options using Canon EOS digital cinema
cameras can be further extended with Canon's Super35mm top-end Cinema
zoom lenses (the CN-E14.5-60mm T2.6 wide-angle and the CN-E30-300mm
T2.95-3.7 telephoto) and compact Cinema zooms (the CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8
wide-angle and CN-E30-105mm T2.8 telephoto). All four are available in
both EF- and PL-mount versions, as are the EOS C500 and EOS C300
cameras. Almost all of Canon's EF Series photographic lenses can also be
used with these Cinema EOS cameras, including Image Stabilized zooms,
tilt-shift models, and macro lenses. All of these products are designed
to contribute to the continued advancement of tools for visual
storytelling and all express Canon's continuing commitment to cinematic
culture.

Pricing and Availability

The CN-E14mm T3.1 L F single-focal-length lens is expected to be
available in April 2013 for an estimated retail price of $5,500. The
CN-E135mm T2.2 L F single-focal-length lens is expected to be available
in May 2013 for an estimated retail price of $5,200.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer,
business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With
approximately $45.6 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon
Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents registered in
2011† and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in
2012. In 2012, Canon U.S.A. has received the PCMag.com Readers' Choice
Award for Service and Reliability in the digital camera and printer
categories for the ninth consecutive year and for camcorders for the
past two years. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest level of
customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based
consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes.
Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social
and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news
from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

# # #

†Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

Prices, specifications and availability are subject to change without notice.